Much with like Nun or Nazi-sploitation, the Italian cannibal movie cycle of the 1970's is something of a bizarre enigma of a niche genre to the uninitiated. To the average layperson, Italians and cannibal movies must seem terribly outlandish... but then again so would the idea of Herzog shooting so many German-language films in the Amazon. Italy actually made at least 5 serious cannibal/jungle adventures and around 10 lesser ones from 1972-1988. This one lacks the professionalism of Ruggero Deodato's, the style of Umberto Lenzi's, and the austere grandeur and seriousness of Sergio Martino's efforts, but makes up for it with ample sex and lurid cheesiness.
Yup, this is the one and only true soft-core porn-themed Italian cannibal movie, complete with plenty of self-pleasury, lesbianry, voyeury, buggery, and plain ol' missionary. One of those films that makes you feel dirty while watching it or later with the mere memory of having seen it.
One of the lower-budgeted efforts ranking down there with ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST, EMANUELLE IN THE LAST CANNIBALS must have been shot mostly just outside Rome. Awful gore effects only enhance the fun, but the real stars of the show are the even worse-than-usual dubbing, shamefully bad dialog, and many questionable directorial touches. Right when you're laughing out loud at the film, it often switches gears into 'sex mode' with numerous soft-core scenes which act as plot-padding filler. Thankfully the animal-killing scenes are in short supply for a change.
Acting-wise, they could have done a lot worse. Save for Japanese actor Al Yamanouchi's hilarious early-career miscasting as an uncredited Latino guide, the cast is most appropriate with a good cross-section of Italian B-movie characters of the time. Donal O'Brien chews scenery wonderfully as a hard-as-nails guide, Gabriele Tinti gives just as earnest a leading man performance as he did in his earlier art-house days, Laura Gemser & Nieves Navarro look pretty and seems comfortable with the rampant nudity. Also watch for ubiquitous euro-fatman and villain voice-over actor Geoffrey Copleston as a random Amazonian landowner. All that's missing are cameos from George Eastman or Luc Merenda.
Fidenco's score gives a certain level of cheesy seriousness to the thing, but also pegs it all as sexually-themed. This film was more-or-less remade much more professionally years later as CANNIBAL FEROX with no sex and much more violence. Among its genre peers, this film (which I'll call TRAP THEM AND KILL THEM this time) ranks among the more enjoyable in that in the unintentional hilarity department it ranks second only to EATEN ALIVE.
